Politics · China · 3 hrs ago
China’s national water network may need over 6 trillion yuan in investment
China is speeding up construction of a national water network, a system designed to move and store water across regions.
The government estimates that building it during the 15th Five-Year Plan period will require more than 6 trillion yuan in investment.
In the first three quarters of this year, work was under way on 41,400 water projects, and 28 major projects began construction.
Projects include a reservoir in Fujian intended to reduce flood risks for more than 600,000 people, and flood-control work in the Taihu basin.
The network is meant to help address water shortages in areas where many cities, energy bases and major grain-producing regions are located.
China invested 795 billion yuan in water construction in the first three quarters and is working toward a 1 trillion yuan target for the full year.
Authorities are exploring water infrastructure investment trusts and other funding models to attract investment and support construction and operations.
Investment demand for China’s national water network is expected to exceed 6 trillion yuan during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, according to a preliminary estimate from the Ministry of Water Resources’ Development Research Center.
China implemented 41,400 water conservancy projects in the first three quarters of 2026 and started work on 28 major projects.
Water conservancy construction investment reached 795 billion yuan in the first three quarters, while the government is working toward a full-year target of 1 trillion yuan.
Major projects include the Shangbaishi Water Conservancy Hub in Fujian and the Tiaoxi flood-control project in the Taihu Lake basin.
The ministry says the network can help redistribute water resources between regions and support water security.
- Who
- China’s Ministry of Water Resources and its Development Research Center provided the investment estimate.
- What
- Investment demand for the national water network is expected to exceed 6 trillion yuan during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
- When
- The estimate was reported on October 12, 2026.
- Where
- China.
- Why
- The network is intended to redistribute water resources between regions and improve water security.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The preliminary estimate is that investment demand for national water network construction during the 15th Five-Year Plan period will exceed 6 trillion yuan.
Nearly 70% of the country's urban clusters, more than 90% of its energy bases and 60% of its major grain-producing areas are in water-scarce regions.
We expect to complete construction of the diversion tunnel and the internal access roads by the end of 2027.
China implemented 41,400 water conservancy projects and started 28 major water projects.
Construction began on the Tiaoxi flood-control project in the Taihu Lake basin.
The investment-demand estimate of more than 6 trillion yuan was reported.
The Shangbaishi project team expects to complete the diversion tunnel and internal access roads.
- Investment estimate
- More than 6 trillion yuan during the 15th Five-Year Plan period
- Projects implemented
- 41,400 in the first three quarters of 2026
- Major projects started
- 28 in the first three quarters of 2026
- Construction investment
- 795 billion yuan in the first three quarters of 2026
- Full-year investment target
- 1 trillion yuan
Sources
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